The Supreme Court has announced that it will begin the final hearing on May 6 and 7 in the 2002 Godhra train burning case, involving appeals filed by the Gujarat government and several convicts.
Court Scrutiny
A bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal directed senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing one of the convicts, to submit a revised and detailed compilation of his arguments by May 3. The submission must include a “heading-wise” breakdown of the charges, the findings of the lower courts, and counterarguments backed by evidence from the case record.
The court issued similar instructions to the lawyers representing other convicts and the Gujarat government, which has filed a counter-appeal. The bench said the matter would require at least two weeks of hearings and clarified that on May 6 and 7, it would not take up any other cases unless specifically directed by the court. The registry has been asked to take necessary orders from the Chief Justice of India in this regard.
Case Background
The case relates to the tragic incident on February 27, 2002, when 59 people, mostly kar sevaks, died after the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire near Godhra station in Gujarat. The incident led to widespread riots across the state.
In October 2017, the Gujarat High Court upheld the convictions of 31 individuals. However, it commuted the death sentences of 11 convicts to life imprisonment. The Gujarat government later challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, seeking the reinstatement of the death penalty for the 11 convicts.
Earlier, the state’s counsel informed the top court that the trial court had originally sentenced 11 people to death and 20 others to life imprisonment. While the state is appealing the reduction of the death penalties, several convicts have also approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s decision to uphold their convictions.
The hearings in this long-standing and high-profile case are expected to play a critical role in determining the final outcome of one of India’s most significant and sensitive legal battles.
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